Santa Fe B Unit

JBricks27

Has anyone designed a B Unit to the Santa Fe engine using only the parts from the super chief engine?

Grogall

Yes actually I MOC't two of them!

oldtodd33

@grogall Where did you get the instructions for them?

JBricks27

I have 3 of the engines and I want to turn 1 of them into a b unit but it doesn't seem possible with just the pieces from 1 of the engine sets

JBricks27

I found instructions for one on railbricks, but I need more parts

Grogall

@oldtodd33 Well like I said its a MOC, but basically I build only the gray part of 10022 and the added the same from a second model, for the extra bulls-eye pieces I had some pieces missing when I build my second A unit, when I called TLG back then to get replacement parts I asked the nice Lady if I could have some, so she sent me 8.

JBricks27

How long ago did you order the replacement pieces?

Grogall

about 10 years!

I also have 7 carriages with James Mathis version of an observation car.

JBricks27

Impressive

Grogall

Well that wasn't the question that you asked! you asked if someone build a B-unit and not how to build a B-unit!

Pitfall69

I really like Bob Carney's representation of the Santa Fe Super Chief.

http://www.carneycastle.com/Trains/index.htm

oldtodd33

^ I've seen this page before. He did a really good job on his cars, but I wonder how well they would go around the standard Lego track.

Si_UKNZ

Oh wow, yes, they're long .. take those round a standard 180 degree curve and you can guarantee they'll fall off.

Pitfall69

I need to MOC a B Unit. I have a ton of parts left over from all the train cars. Hopefully I won't have to buy much more.

madforLEGO

Been meaning to build a B Unit, just one my list of things to build.

Pitfall69

I'm now getting around to building a B-Unit :)

Pitfall69

Pitfall69

^It's getting there. The port hole windows are expensive. I also wanted to make it a bit more "authentic", so I was able to score these.

oldtodd33

^ Holy cow those windows are expensive!!  Really? Ten dollars each?  You would be better off to buy the whole car, use the windows for now and sell the car when you're done with the windows. 

On a side note, @Pitfall69, where did you get the stickers?

Pitfall69

^I found them on ebay a few years ago. If anyone wants, I can scan a high quality image and you can try to make your own stickers.

gmonkey76

I just rebuilt my B Unit a while back so it will work with power functions. Just need one more light gray bar, and to put the stickers on.

gmonkey76

Hope this works as it is the first time trying to post picture.

Farmer_John

Grogall said:

about 10 years! I also have 7 carriages with James Mathis version of an observation car.

STOP IT!!! Must not covet...must not covet...

Bumblepants

This is really making me itch for a new Creator Expert train to be released of any kind. I can't afford the Santa Fe or BNSF at this point but something new would be most welcome.

madforLEGO

It has been eerily quite on the creator train front, but then again there really have only be hushed whispers of the new 'fairground' themed set as well.

SumoLego

The creator folk seemed focused on the modulars, winter village, fairground and landmark buildings.

The Horizon Express is nice, but it's time for a NY Central Hudson 700e and a passenger set. Or some ALCO Pennsylvania diesels...

Or some Baltimore & Ohio E-8s...

ecmo47

Or a D&RGW outside frame K-36.....but isnt that another thread?

Pitfall69

The Horizon Express is a nice train, but there is something about it that's lacking. The Santa Fe Super Chief had many different cars that were interesting to build. I made my own Vista Dome car for my Super Chief.

madforLEGO

Pitfall69 said:

The Horizon Express is a nice train, but there is something about it that's lacking. The Santa Fe Super Chief had many different cars that were interesting to build. I made my own Vista Dome car for my Super Chief.

I think what the HE is lacking is that, aside from the better detail and different color, it is much like a regular passenger train that LEGO already has. Though the #10233 is now going for a decent price on eBay now, especially if you happen to get it when it was on sale before the whole exclusives ban.
Santa Fe was an old school passenger train and contrasted nicely with the 'high speed' trains that LEGO has been churning out for a while now.

1265

I didn't pickup the Horizon Express for the sole reason that it looked dull, boring and bland.  I now wish I did pick one up just for the reason to add to my collection, but I'm not kicking myself for missing out on this set. 

oldtodd33

I would agree that the only thing that seems lacking about the HE is that Lego has been doing bullet trains ever since the #7745 and the Super Chief was just very different from the norm. The bullet train thing almost seems like the police station/fire station thing. 

I will add though that I did like the HE. I thought it had plenty of detail and was well built.

Pitfall69

Finally finished build my Santa Fe B-Unit. I broke down and ordered the remaining parts, but I wasn't going to pay for the grey windows, so I custom made mine. Just need to put some finishing touches, but it's pretty much done. Now to make B-Units for my Black, Blue and Yellow War Bonnets :)

Pitfall69

These are my Black and Yellow War Bonnets. I still have to change some things and I don't know if I want to go PF or keep it 9V. My Blue War Bonnet is still under construction. The Yellow War Bonnet was the most expensive to make because of the rare yellow train base. I'm hoping there will be another yellow cargo train in the future, so I can make a B-Unit cheaply.